The present invention relates to a locking device for a vehicle seat, with the locking device having locking elements that interact in order to lock the locking device and are moved away from one another to unlock it, and a securing element that, on the one hand, ensures that the locked locking elements do not move away from one another, and, on the other hand, is moved away from the locking elements in order to unlock the locking device.
Using a known locking device of the type described immediately above, a pivotable backrest of a rear seat is detachably locked to the vehicle structure. One of the locking elements is formed as a bolt or bracket, and the other locking element is formed as a pawl. The locking elements are arranged, together with the other components of the locking device, in a lock. If the securing element is moved away from the locking elements in order to allow unlocking, the locking elements must be moved away from one another, that is to say, the lock must be pivoted away from the bolt or bracket or vice versa while the securing element is held open. If the securing element is released and the weight of the backrest, for example, prevents automatic pivoting and discharge of the bolt or bracket from the lock, the locking device could unintentionally lock again.